The present invention relates to automotive vehicles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a connecting a shunt to a printed circuit board (PCB) of an energy management system employed in an automotive vehicle.
Automotive vehicles powered by combustion engines typically include a battery. The battery is used to power the electrical system when the engine is not running. Additionally, the engine used to charge the battery. The engine is also used to power electrical components of the vehicle when the engine is running.
Vehicles contain charging systems, simply referred to as an “alternator,” which are powered by the engine and used to charge the battery. Recently, an energy management and monitor system, configured to electrically couple to the alternator and to the battery, has been developed to control the charge signal provided by the alternator to the battery. The energy management system includes components such as capacitors, resistors, transistors, a small microprocessor, etc. These components are mounted on a PCB and the energy management system is included within the electrical system of the vehicle. Also included in the energy management system, is a shunt current sensor, which is used to provide a monitor of the total current flowing through the vehicle battery. The shunt includes a resistor and first and second bus bars, which are connected to a first and second end of the shunt resistor, respectively. The shunt is electrically coupled to the energy management system circuitry, which, as mentioned above, primarily includes components that are mounted on the PCB of the energy management system.
One present technique for coupling the shunt to the PCB of the energy management system includes utilizing screws to mechanically couple, and to electrically connect, bus bars of the shunt to connection points on the PCB. However, this technique for connecting the shunt to the PCB is complex to carry out and typically requires manual assembly.